Hong Kong puts brakes on Uber in its road map for the future

Transport chief says car-hailing services must be run like taxi firms, dashing the company’s hopes that it could fit into a new regulatory regime

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Hong Kong officials have proposed a premium taxi service in the face of service complaints. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Published: 8:00pm, 7 Jun 2017Updated: 3:16pm, 2 Oct 2017

Uber must change its business model and run like existing taxi companies for a chance to be legalised, Hong Kong’s transport minister said on Wednesday as he effectively blotted out the car-hailing company’s future while unveiling a road map for the city’s public transport.

Secretary for Transport and Housing Professor Anthony Cheung Bing-leung put Uber in a jam as he announced a report on the long-term development of public transport that featured 14 new measures.

The blueprint includes 67 proposals altogether, covering buses, light rail, taxis, trams and ferries, some of which were announced earlier but have yet to be implemented.

Police last month arrested 22 Uber drivers on suspicion of driving without a hire car permit and third-party insurance. Photo: Edward Wong

Among the initiatives proposed are designating more bus-only lanes and encouraging bus companies to start long-haul services that make fewer stops during peak traffic hours.

While the report made no specific mention of Uber, the government’s stance against such car-hailing services was clearly evident when police arrested 22 drivers last month on suspicion of picking up passengers without a hire car permit and third-party insurance.

“The company that you mentioned, which provides car hailing services through the internet, can run its businesses like how existing taxi companies do now,” Cheung said when asked about Uber.

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